Dual Monitor ID number help

camarlins

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Jan 31, 2012
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The situation: I bought a 2nd monitor tonight to replace one that crapped out. My primary monitor was an ASUS VS248H-P. Tonight I bought a Samsung S24D390HL. My video card is a NVIDIA GEForce 560 ti. Prior to this setup my 2nd monitor worked just like I wanted it to. I have a program from ASUS that would let me extend and turn off/on the 2nd monitor. When I installed the Samsung, it installed as #2. I want to use it as #1. I want it to by my primary for everything.

Windows lists it as #2, even when I go to control panel NVIDIA settings, or use windows, yes I can drag the 2 to the left of 1 and it makes it my main. My issue is that when I turn off extended display, since the ASUS is listed as #1, it shuts off #2 and moves the desktop over to #1.

I have searched everywhere on how to change it so Windows 7 recognizes my Samsung as #1 and Asus as #2. I have searched for programs to just be able to shut off extended display and allowing my Samsung to stay on with the desktop instead of the Asus. No luck at all. I tried reinstalling video drivers, monitor drivers.

It boils down to this. I want to use my new monitor (Win7 listed #2) as my main with the option to turn on/off my older (Win7 listed #1) and use it as an extended desktop.

Please help! Thank you.

Carlos
 

camarlins

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Jan 31, 2012
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Ive done that. Its how I was able to drag my second monitor to the left and make it my primary. My need is to make it possible for my #2 listed monitor to be used as the main. For example, If I turn off my extended desktop, even though I have the Samsung listed as primary, it shuts off the Samsung(#2) and moves everything to the Asus(#1). I want to avoid that.
 

camarlins

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Jan 31, 2012
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Unfortunately that doesnt work. My old monitor is saved as #1 still in the Display settings. My only idea, which Im not sure if its a good one, is in Device Manager under Monitors I have 2 Generic PnP Monitor listed. Im thinking if I uninstall the first one (hopefully my first monitor listed as #1), it will change #2 to #1. My only fear is if I do that, somehow I'll lose the ability to turn on my monitors and have to reinstall windows.
 

camarlins

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Jan 31, 2012
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ok, we seem to be having a breakdown in communication here. It is set as the primary display. From what I can tell Windows saves your monitor information somewhere. What I did was unplugged #1, went to Device Manager, Scan for new hardware changes. This changed my #2 to #1, yay! But no...when I replug my older monitor and rescan hardware changes is goes back to being #1 and im back at square one. I also ran CCleaner's registry program during that and nothing changed.

I tried swapping there positions in the video card. Its still identified the same in either slot.